Why were the orcs on crutches? Thats a really good question. I aksed myself the same thing when I saw it since it looked really weird and seemed to serve no purpose although Mithalwen suggests they may have been spring loaded to help them in backflips and other moves. That could very well be the case. If so, I did not realize it when I saw the play. When I saw it I simply thought they were crutches and gave them a type of "on all fours" look. It reminded me a bit of the Flying Monkeys from WIZARD OF OZ when they scurried on the ground fighting the good guys.
here are some links so you can see the actual stuff
An Overview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ngg7wcbwEU
Arwen Evenstar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS3LN5TUPHc
The Ringwraiths:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPF_Xiv7Dlw
Lothlorien:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxS_k_0eu_4
Star of Earendil:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft0GNgdVz0A
The Final Battle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td8QWBpYIlA
Flight to the Ford:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIqY66cP13s
Epilogue: Farewells:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si6LAl6XhCw
Finale:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJrsb6_6nfo
The Road Goes On:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3yA7gRDgqE